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Ethergaarde
Town Map Ethergaard is split into districts which are detailed in the following section. Town Guide Below is a guide to the districts of Ethergaarde. Prominent businesses are outlined, but the best way to get more information and expand your knowledge of the city is by visiting the various buildings and landmarks and meeting their inhabitants. As your experience grows, this section will become more detailed. Ethergaarde is primarily a trading city, and serves as a hub for finances and markets in Amathara. It is located in a region known as the Windswept Coast, and is known for being dark and rainy. There is a gothic turn to the architecture, and a plethora of unique churches stand in each of its districts. Ethergaarde is a majority human city with a sizeable elven minority, generally accepted dwarven and gnome minorities, and a scattering of others who may not feel themselves as welcome. Though Ethergaarde is a part of the royal monarchy (led by Lord Skipta, a vassal leading directly from the Crown), in its past it was said to have been a haven for robber barons who would use the rushing river of the Vaitarna to make a quick escape after wrecking ships and taking their wares. After wrestling for control of the city, Skipta has come down very hard on the side of law and order, employing a citizen's militia, lightly armed and armored Ethergaards, and a supreme fighting force known as the Etherknights. Overview Government: Theocracy (divine law under Pholtus) with parliamentary system for local affairs based on elected Aldermen from each district Population: 10,583 (Small city): Human (73%), Elf (10%), Halfling (6%), Dwarf (4%), Gnome (3%), Half-Elf (2%), Half-Orc (1%), Other (1% including warforged, goblin, dragonborn, tiefling, aasimar) Notable Guilds and Organizations: Ethergaards & Etherknights, Thurianni Clan, the Scorpion Mercenary Company, the Olidammaran Thieves Guild, the High Tower Mages Guild, Antiphony-on-the-Green, and the Thresher Guild. Notable Churches (function similiarly as guilds): Pholtus, Celestian/Fharlangn, Moradin, Wee Jas, Aerdrie Faenya/Corellon Larethian, Boccob, Garl Glittergold, Yondalla, Pelor, Heironeous/St. Cuthbert, Trithereon, and Nerull A. Ethercourt The royal court of Ethergaarde is walled, cordoned off from the general populace, and protected by a strong force known as the Etherknights. Lord Skipta rules the town from his palace here, and is known for being selective with his company. Despite this, he has been known to invite diplomats, soldiers, and academics of esteem to the court. Population: Low (human, elven) Ethergaard Royal Palace Lord Skipta stays within the ancestral Ethergaard royal palace, a marble stronghold decorated by glittering obsidian and white agate. The fortified palace is at once opulent and intimidating, with six crenelated towers, a moat and draw bridge, and multiple defensive siege engines. Temple of Pholtus (LG) A ten foot set of scales, perfectly balanced, stands outside an immaculately clean courthouse. While small claims tend to be sorted out by the barrister in the Southern quarter, serious infractions and matters of civil law are discussed within the confines of this building. In the back of the courthouse is a large coat of arms to Lord Skipta's chosen deity, the intransigent god of Law: Pholtus. Some of the town's most esteemed clerics don the silver and white robes of Pholtus here, performing both rites of trial and divine services for those permitted within the Ethercourt's confines. The Lord's Grounds Only high priests of Pholtus, members and friends of the royal family, servants, and the Etherknights have access to the carefully cultivated fields that are known as "The Lord's Grounds". The latter group use the Lord's Grounds as training and to conduct routine military exercises. During the Lunar Feast, the Lord's Grounds become home to jousts and duels. Various exercise equipment and training aids are located on the grounds. It is said that warriors that spend time training here tend to develop their skills quickly and effectively. B. The Bazaar Hustlers, merchants, and entertainers flood the Bazaar with their wares. Roadsides are filled with carts and stores and shops are known to pop-up overnight. Below are some of the more permanent installments. Visiting during the Solar and Lunar Feasts sees the Bazaar decorated and festive to a level even surpassing its normal lively self, often with exclusive deals. The Bazaar is often the first destination for travels coming to Ethergaard, and many are known to walk around tasting molasses and candied apples while rifling through the wears of a diverse set of merchants. There are both sizeable gnomish and halfling communities in the bazaar. During the day, cheap foodstands are prevalent, but at night, every shop still standing in the Bazaar gets an Ethercandle, an illuminating source that sheds a strange green light that makes the often valuable gold and gemstone wears glitter under the moonlight. Population: Average (human, gnomish, halfling) Golden Nugget Jewelers (LG) Zozinet Thenn, a popular socialite and gnome of renowned, runs this gold painted shop. Beautiful gemstones and pieces of jewelry flicker under the arcane lights. Zozinet is a regular at the Orange Lilly and the Chamberlain in the Exalted Estates, but is known to spend time at the Serenade as well. His multifaceted, humorous persona is not just linked to his social activities, though: if a gnome traveler ventures into the Golden Nugget (or anyone who knows enough history) they'll spot a painting on the wall showing a full-sized kobold meeting its doom. Correctly identify the event and magical wards will cause the painting to slide into the wall, revealing a ladder to an underground temple of Garl Glittergold, and perhaps the ideal hangout for Ethergaardian gnomes since the temple links up to many other businesses, allowing them to prank when they feel like it. Fortune Teller Ultragotha A large purple and white tent announces the seemilngly drugged but somehow persuasive Ultragotha, a widow who gained clairvoyant powers after the death of her husband. Ultragotha offers simple fortunes, divination spells, and rare components. Her boisterous attitude is a put-off to some, and those that seek her help must accept its possible Ultragotha will gossip about them after a few ales afterward at the Heavenly Cabbage. The False Cockatrice Charms and Magic A stone bird out front leads to a gothic, smoke filled magic shop. There are prestidgitation pranks for children but more potent magic for those who have attended school and joined the High Tower of Boccobs Mage Guild. Magic for others is restricted to more minor magical items as per Lord Skipta. Since the False Cockatrice is open to anyone (unlike the High Tower) it is more a destination for travelers and adventurers. The wizard Abyryn runs the False Cockatrice, and her pale blue eyes are known for their entrancing quality. High Tower of Boccob (N) The High Tower of Boccob doesn't just appear to anyone. Behind it's walls is a combination mage school, guild house, library, and magic shop serving the needs of a culture that has embraced magic after its incredible effects against the robber barons of before. The fortified, tall round tower has a sun shaped opening that appears and glows for those able to see it. Inside, on the top floor, Venric Leenthorn spends the days smoking, chatting to apprentices, and generally forgetting where he is. Operations day to day have been mostly assumed by the prodigious Edwyrd Motra. Here, adventurers can take entrance exams to join the Mage Guild and legally use magic within the town, they can spend money to buy magical items, to have wizards identify items or cast divination spells, and, if they are trusted, read forbidden tombs from the library. Venric is one of the oldest men alive in Ethergaard and has some memory from the robber baron days, but to be honest, he's a little fuzzy on everything now. Half Moon Armory Half moon produces some of Ethergaard's lighter equipment and can be an affordable solution for adventurers just starting out. There are occasional magical items that make their way in due to the traffic from the bazaar, though adventurer's with more coin may visit the Emerald Armory or the Forge of Moradin. Windswept Plains Clothier A franchise from other cities, Windswept Plains clothier provides the town with uniforms of silver and white that Lord Skipta requires when workers are laboring. For some members of the town, it means they wear little else. The Windswept Plains Clothier originated in the town of Amberhelm but has been opening up stores across the coast. Market Point Stables A large stable and track welcomes those just entering the town, allowing visitors to give their horses a safe place or even a trainer if they have the gold. The area is stiflingly crowded and can cause some to seek out the more upscale stables in the Emerald Knoll. On the track, horse-racing is conducted, and on feast days this is expanded to more exotic mounts. There are also matches of bullfights and bearbaiting. The popularity of these events seem strange with Lord Skipta having banned gambling within Ethergaard, but the truth is many travelers visit the Serenade in Deadtown to place their bets illegally. Yondalla Caravan (LG) Uneni and Panzor Nalalrog run this halfling temple to Yondalla out of a donkey run caravan consisting of about 8 large storage crates and carriage. Not really a temple persay, the caravan does offer some limited divine services from Uneni for any halfling followers. The Yondalla Caravan often carries unique knick-knacks from deeper into the lands of Amathara than many of the other shops. Clerics from the Forge of Moradin, the Golden Nugget, and Corellon Larethian sometimes come her to smoke and hash out theological issues since the natural curiosity and outgoing personalities of the Nalalrog clan bring out some valuable debate. The Heavenly Cabbage Pub The largest tavern in all of Ethergaard lays claim to perhaps the strangest architectural feature in the town: the foundation of the cabbage-shaped tavern is buoyed by a collection of Tenser's Floating Disks purchased from the High Tower Mages Guild. A well known tavern slush, a dwarf named Kromden Bogfoot, stages a game called "Temptation!" that an adventurer, feeling lucky, may take him up on. The heavenly cabbage has two floors, a main bar area on the first and a dancefloor and entertainment area with a mini bar at the smaller cabbage top. The center is hollowed out so visitors can look down all the way to the garden and vineyard out underneath the pub. Despite the magical accouterments, the pub is rather wild and its interior has shown some wearing over time. It is the premier destination for travelers just off the road. Flea Market A great assortment of tables and tents offering their wares for travelers. These pop up stalls offer whatever the road has brought, meaning a convoluted and random assortment of packs, foods, tools, and art. The flea market is a staple of Ethergaardian life, with many families selling their crafted goods on the side to help with their rent. As a result, Ethergaards patrol regularly, dissuading would-be-thieves. Whitebull General Goods A bizarre, mazelike tangle of halls comprises Whitebull General Goods. It's easy to get turned around, but the shopkeeps are generally helpful and can lay out the byzantine method of organization. Whitebull used to be a strong hold during the town's robber baron days, some saying one of the prominent members used to hide in its network of halls. Whitebull gets its goods both from the city proper and from buying items from the fleamarket. Its scope is more narrow than the market but tends to restock sold items in 1d6 days. Auction Block Every day at sundown an auction takes place at the auction block. Attend and you can walk away with some unique items granted that you had the highest bid. A rail thin Pholtus follower named Adrim Detsk humorlessly proceeds to unveil the day's auction, which is generally an exotic or rare expensive item or a property. Adrim is annoyed with those who shout numbers at the auction with no intent of paying and recently successfully made a bid to make such activity punishable by a fine and a day in the Ethergaard dungeon. C. Deadtown Deadtown is a particularly dangerous slum lined by tenement houses and home to the Ethergaarde Thieves Guild, the Olidammaran pranksters known as "the bastards". While many of Ethergaarde's denizens wouldn't be caught uh, dead in Deadtown, it does boast the most raucous tavern in town and access to services that the Ethercourt has deemed illegal and degenerate. Population: High (human, half-elven, half-orcish, halfling, very few tiefling and dragonborn) Deadtown Gates Outside Deadtown gates is a graveyard for those executed by the city (and those not allowed to be barried in the city, see more under "City Limits"). The Deadtown gates are graffiti laden, battered wooden doors with a macabre scene adorning their surface. Since visitors are more common from the north and south, guards are less likely to hang around but it is perhaps the only concentration of them in Deadtown. Oriver's Lock-and-Key A mischievous man who is short even by the diminutive halfling standards, Oriver is an aging second-story man who, after too many run ins with the Ethergaards, became legitimate (mostly) and transferred his remaining wealth and skills to building the locks and keys for many buildings in Ethergaarde. Oriver sometimes sets up a caravan to peddle his wares in the bazaar and heads back to his dilapidated shack at night. Oriver's work is high quality, and after the sale of nearly fifty locks at a steep rate to Exalted Estates (he'll tell you all about it) the silver tongued Oriver began investing in magical scrolls that can lock or secure areas as well. Oriver has a joke posted outside his shack: if you can break in, you deserve what you find. Tower of Wee Jas and Graveyard (LN) Crossing through a narrow allyway or over the broken cobblestones of Rat Street leads to the sudden apparition of the Tower of Wee Jas. Beautiful dark bricks climb toward a conical roof decorated with a red skull. The Tower of Wee Jas makes a gorgeous spectacle out of Deadtown, the pieces of Ethergaardian history-old architectural materials, rugs, forgotten cotes of arms form unique patterns. What might be a ratty rug in someone elses hands is died a beautiful crimson. Poor but proficient artists fill every room with unique pieces, and a modest library open to all comprises the bottom floors. There is a portal in this tower to their allied temple, the temple of Boccob in the bizarre. The middle floors function as a hospice and the upper floors a temple and quarter for the red-haired priestesses. Funeral rites are carried out here, and many are laid to rest in the graveyard behind the tower. Despite the high regard Deadtown denizens hold for the Tower of Wee Jas, they are known for being hassled by Ethergaards for unknown reasons. The Whistlin' Skull Tavern Nine wooden blanks, each decorated in crude but alarmingly effective illustration the various circles of hell, form one great, tin roofed circle: the Whistlin' Skull Tavern. So named for a stage inside that resembles a skull, performers, adventurers, low-lives and city scum convene in the popular watering hole for entertainment and escape. With the lack of Ethergaards, the Whistling Skull is a draw for drugs and prostitution. Travelers can stay on the upper floor for just a few coins, though stains of blood aren't uncommon in the beds. The Whistlin' Skull is unquestionably the most unhinged tavern in all of Ethergaard, and can draw a tough and interesting crowd during the nights. Deadtown Tenements This bleak row of tenement houses claims the highest population density of anywhere in Ethergaarde. People live on top of one another, with no semblance of privacy and very little seperation at all between living spaces. Disease is rampant. One can live here for very little, or exchange services. Even with this squalor, there are those that cannot afford even Tenement pricing, and can be found begging on the streets of Deadtown. Scorpion Mercenary Company One of the more disturbing features of deadtown is a rectangular, sloping building adorned with a painting of a black scorpion. Within the walls of the Scorpion Mercenary Company is a one-eyed ex-adventurer Half Orc named Druz, who trains wannabe swordsman for a price and helps pimp them out to those who desire muscle for a percentage of the profit. Druz is not known for being discerning about the jobs he accepts, believing that if there is a mercenary willing to take the job, he can help fill the spot. Strange rumors have coalesced about Druz, some saying that he has even worked with the clergy of Nerull. Others claim that, strangely enough, Etherknights may have sought his services. Whether either of these is true is up for debate, but if you visit Druz before an adventure he may have some side work for you as long as you're willing to share the profit. The Serenade What used to be a carnival area has been repurposed into a gambling hall. All around the serenade, sad rusted half moons stair down from a corrugated iron roof that was made to look like the night sky, but has since decayed and let in actual starlight. The perimeter is a "tunnel of love" which consists of some flamingo and swan boats that have seen better days, patrons take to the metal birds to canoodle or drunkenly drift after a bad hand. Games of dragon dice, Avandra's Favor, and Run-of-Luck are played by determined visitors. Visitors with physical skill might take part in archery, knife tossing, or hammer hit games. Fights break out in the collapsing tents of the serenade, even in the recovery tent. Adventurers trying to venture a little coin can find bookies here who will allow them to place bets on events, events which are sometimes so dire that to bet on them would be tasteless to most. Olidammaran Safehouse (CN) A graffiti-strewn thieves guild with shrine to Olidammara stands with plank-covered windows and rudimentary traps on the south side of this district. Destin Bela, Veselona Ilych, and Nikolai Nitrodi, an esteemed fighter, rogue, and bard respectively, are the unofficial pack leaders of this den of thieves. Communal, crass, and prolific, the town's Thieves Guild carves out their sordid living here with their pet dire rat, Bartholomew. They are nicknamed "The Bastards". D. Exalted Estates A wealthy residential, financier, and boutique shop district. Many of the town's High Elves call this area home. With wide, temperature controlled streets, manicured gardens and moody lighting, the Exalted Estates is a good place for a walk. It isn't for everyone though: if you're spotted walking around in rags or looking out of place, one of the Etherknights that patrol these streets will be more than happy to see you out. Population: Low (human, elven) The Prismatic Aerie (CG) The tallest building in Ethergaard is the Prismatic Areie, a beautiful minimalist set of interlaced mithral support structures winding up in a spiral shape, coated with color-changing alexandrite shells. The lower levels wind around in a meandering pattern and are festooned with rare plants. When the light hits the alexandrite shells, prismatic projections of light grab the visitor's eyes. If one has the endurance for it, reaching the top of the Aerie reveals a nice look out point over the town, and a nest for Aarakocra, eagles, falcons, wild birds, and even air elements. The high priestess Vastelle claims the nest as an elven temple dedicated to Aerdrie Faenya and Corellon Larethian, the gods of Air/freedom/fertility and magic/art/war respectively. Priests in the temple are known as the Chroma. The majority of the elven population comes to the Aerie to worship and meditate. Outsiders are often questioned before attending: a number of rare bird eggs sit in the Aerie and the priests do not want them disturbed. Northeast Gate Very few travelers would pick the road to Deadtown, and nearly every path now forks so that travelers can instead choose to arrive in the Exalted Estates. A heavy presence of Etherknights gingerly seperates those that should be entering here from the rest, with a decorated tunnel that masks travelers entering the city. If one actually wants to hang around the estates they must present a motive and persuade the authorities. Otherwise, the tunnel spits them out into the bazaar. Dominion Holdings City planner, nobleman and one of the city's richest people, Phillip Rascain, runs Dominion Holdings as a bank and money changer for the city. Holding your assets at Dominion can net you both security and a small monthly percentage increase. Gemstones, art objects, copper, silver, gold, electrum, and platinum can be sold here, but it is rumored Rascain is at work on his own paper currency to compete. If one wishes to invest in a business in Ethergaarde (it's own gamble), one can make that deal here. Exalted Tailor Elion and Nephenee Skylark volunteer their time at the Aerie but work as the highest end clothiers in the town. Bring in a suit, an accessory, or even armor, and Elion and Nephenee can dye, tan, shape, and otherwise modify to the heart's content. Their true excellence is in wedding gowns and suits, which are on display as animated mannequins mince around the business, showing off their billowing trains and form-fitting shoulders. Rare cloth materials can be sold here. The Orange Lilly A delicate etch in a line of trees by a park announces the Orange Lilly, an open-air market of eleven style. A net protects the wares from bugs and limits rain while letting in the sun. Farmers with valuable produce and some of the town's best vineyards come to these grounds to peddle their wares to frolicking elves. Even just a few minutes in the Orange Lilly will tip a visitor in on the exclusivity in this seemingly free and open area: those who are known sellers and Exalted Estates homeowners find themselves sampling food, drink, and knick-knacks freely (often not even in exchange for coin) while an unfamiliar face might not even be catered to or encouraged to purchase anything at all. Myrla's Gems and Curios Surrounding herself with the most obessive gnomish gem cutters, Myrla's main passion is the creation of beautiful rings and the cutting of fine stones. Your best bet for trading in gems for gold is Myrla's, if you can get around her chatty, critical appraisals. Enter the drawing room and you'll find a veritable museum of art objects tastefully displayed. Everything is for sale or trade, and it is even said that some of the objects carry magical power. Glassblower Natalli Nickledust and her crew of twelve stalwart glassblowers craft the majority of Ethergaard's glassware and windows here. While the environment is hot and busy, Natalli makes use of her high elven friends to decorate a beautiful back porch where laborers can have a rest and calm their minds after many hours by the furnace. The stringency of the Stellar Academies teachings show their signs here: imperfect glassware is pushed into receptacles to be disposed of. There has been a push to donate these instead to Deadtown (with its broken windows, and tenants that often drink with their hands) but this movement was quashed and the glass is instead melted down. The Chamberlain Beauregard Matheson is the innkeep at the Chamberlain, the (as the sign says) "Destination for the Truly Luxuriant". Inside is a tavern with three different bars (one for wine, one for ale, and one for liquors and other beverages) staffed by busy workers who often hail from other districts. Alcohol is made in boutique breweries that are only located in Exalted Estates, with the exception of some ethnic liquor that is imported from elsewhere. Several of the servants come from exotic backgrounds, including Tabaxi. Only the finest cuts of meat and rarest meals are assembled. Every servant at the Chamberlain wears a black vest and a white shirt with gold buttons and shoulder pads. The Chamberlain has three different areas to stay as well, the River Rooms (blue rooms with cooling pillows, magical soothing music, and large baths), Forge Rooms (red rooms that come with a hot-coal sauna, a massage, fires, and rare books), and the Lord's Room, of which there is only one, and if you have to ask what happens there you can't afford it. Azrael's House The far west side of Exalted Estates is a quiet, temperature controlled and brightly lit neighborhood that contains a beautiful manor house. The product of mahogany, thick beams, Elven intracy in the glass, and a little of the Shadow Elven touch to make it look simultanously imposing and part of its surroundings, Azrael's house characterizes the shadow elf as 1) Propertied, and 2) (Fairly) Monied. Izzoko and Illumi spent years in the Underdark raiding camps and making surface world excursions to accrue enough wealth to pass their son off as landed gentry. With this cunning facade, some disguise make up, and the reassuring cool of the shadow, Azrael is prepared to do what he can for his clan. It starts here. E. The Emerald Knoll Open parks take the form of cultivated, rolling hills in the center of the town. On their crests are a number of the most prominent temples and guildhalls. Population: Average (mixed) The Greens Rolling crests in the center of Ethergaarde fufill myriad purposes: aesthetic beauty, ease of movement, and the pleasurable cultivation of sound. The Greens are a protected by followers of Celestian, Fharlanghn, and Obad-hai, and an ordinance from Skipta preventing further development. This park contains sections allowed to grow wild, little groves and patches of trees, and ponds. It is the best section of town for a walk and the beginning of a romance. Antiphony-on-the-Green An ampthitheater built into the side of a hill with two giant, theatrical masks of ebony and ivory announces Antiphony-on-the-green. This is a theatrical troop and bard's guild that puts on dramatic performances as well as orchestral shows. The troup is headed by Aleyda Clearlake and her long-time understudy (and rumored sometimes lover), an androgynous half-elf named Vandil Kelberos. The guild is known for its freewheeling style and is an attraction for visitors from towns like Amberhelm who lack such a nice theater. Aleyda has been watching as the endowment from Skipta has been cut in recent years, and has been forced to try to recruit new players for less coin, while watching some of her veteran players leave for Ivyport on the coast. Emerald Thermae A beautiful, columned marble public path, vineland, winery, and vomitorium appears after a hill drop off. This is the Emerald Thermae, where green-lit lanterns glow off the veined white marble, and the denizens of Ethergaarde come to relax, talk, and enjoy themselves. The Thermae has been forced in recent times to begin to charge to keep up with the upkeep. This has resulted in the bath becoming mostly a privilege for landowners. Bessa Swan, a woman with gossamer-thin frame rumored to be a faerie, runs the Thermae with a considerable staff. Woes of Syfal, the Temple of Heironeous/St. Cuthbert (LG/LN) The churches of Heironeous and St. Cuthbert predate Ethergaard by centuries, and outside of the native Mornfall tribesmen are some of the areas earliest inhabitants. Before the Ether Wars, there was great strife when a demigod named Syfal attacked the country and the churches combined forces to force him into the abyss. Since then, the church has existed as a silver-grey rock church with glass stained blue and silver, showing both gods vanquishing their ancient foe. While the church is of moderate size, there is some talk of a growing chance of schism. Internal pressures have been placed on the clergy and certain differences may not be reconciled. The highpriests include St. Cuthbert priest Valimir Vinnikov and Heironeous priestess Elja Fabian. Thresher Hall The Laborer's Guild and town meeting place is Thresher hall, a huge open-air auditorium with a great gold medallion of a scythe held in two hands out front cutting through wheat in the front. Thresher Hall advocates for fair wages of the workers of Ethergaarde in exchange for monthly dues. It is also the site for town meetings. Temple of Pelor (NG) A blindingly white, clean, airy, tall stained glass cathedral, with gold tapestries with hospital wing sits amid a beautiful garden of white and yellow flowers. The Temple of Pelor, with its priest Lampridius Shephard, commands a decent number of followers. Some say the church was built over what used to be a temple to Mornfall's deity Tezcatilipoca. It is not uncommon for Lord Skipta or Etherknights to attend service here from time to time, having developed a particular taste for Lampridius's sermons. Temple of Trithereon (CG) A squat building with a belltower attached, the temple of Trithereon could be mistaken for a prison for its stone sides and narrow windows. Melisanda Doilishcha, a buxom redheaded Paladin, leads her small following here. Melisanda beseeches those that follow Trithereon to join Thresher Hall and become an active part in the community, and works to drop the steadily rising prison population in Ethergaarde. The Temple of Trithereon is spied upon and picketed by Etherknights and, it is said, even by agents of Elja Fabian. The temple has a reputation for raising "troublemakers". The Emerald Armory Whereas the Forge of Moradin is best known for its weapons, the Emerald Armory is best known for its armor, each suit coming with a small engraving of an emerald. Uruias Weston operates the green-glass decorated armory with a stylistic edge, preferring his work to look at once delicate and utterly unbreakable. Those without much gold should choose elsewhere, and the half-orc guards Uruias employs agree with this assessment. On top of armor, those taking a walk on the greens will also find the armory to have an excellent upscale attached clothier, which supplies silk robes and does quite a bit of trading with merchants as far off as Talim. F. Southern Quarter As Ethergaard prospered, the Southern Quarter opened up as a cosmopolitan residential center. Some of the inhabitants of the Southern Quarter own land, but many of them are laborers with just a few more coins a week on average than those that reside in Deadtown or the fishery. The Stellar Academy stands prominently on the east side, putting its long halls and many rooms to use training laborers, merchants, scholars and historians to refine their knowlege. In the middle of the quarter is the Ethercruiser, an experimental skyship that is worked on daily by enterprising tradesmen and mages. The Southern Quarter is an up and coming neighborhood and known as good place to settle down and raise a family. Population: Average (human) South Gate A dark iron gate leads to the Ashlands. Travelers from Thornmore and Amberhelm make their way with lumber to the South gate and are greated by a sizable armed force. Ethercruiser Volaris Read more about Volaris here. While obscured by a tarp and anchored down with pitons, a longboat cruiser fitted with magical ruins and fortifications sits in the center of the Southern Quarter. Rumors are swirling that this technological feat is for show every since the Ethercruiser production went behind schedule. Wizards of the Mage Guild have begun to be contracted in higher amounts to work on what would be a major transportation and trade breakthrough for the city, but some locals worry it's just a boondoggle and the relative prosperity the Southern Quarter has seen in recent years may plummet back to the robber baron days if they can't get the project "off the ground" so to speak. Hayward Inn Near the barracks is a large, cozy looking Inn known as the Hayward, known for its relatively quiet life and its breakfast in the morning. An attached alehouse is a known stomping grounds for gaards off shift. Luna Stables and Horsetrainer The largest stable in Ethergaard is in the southern quarter. Since the Emerald Knolls are adjacent (and a favorite for racing and horseback riding), mounts are sold here every day to often enthusiastic customers. Travelers just leaving the city often replace mounts they lost here. Southern Quarter Butchery Darsel Charsk, a handsome man and able butcher (and prominent member of Thresher Hall), represents what the Southern District tends to bring to mind in the people of Ethergaard: he puts a face on the reputation that the South brings the best hunters in from the Ashlands and have the best cuts of meat. Since Nightfall, animals have been forced into irregular patterns, leading to an increase in hunting and profits from Darsel, but the irregularity may bend in the opposite direction soon. Grazia Rastinin, Tutor Grazia is an old women who stayed in the Stellar Academy most of her life in some capacity, first as a laborer, then as a student, then finally as a teacher. Though she is retired, Grazia makes coin on the side helping those with failing grades at the Stellar Academy, or those that just want to hone their skills. Supposedly, laborers on the Ethercruiser have been taking up most of her time lately after Lord Skipta, frusterated at the delayed schedule, required laborers on their days off to retrain and attend remedial classes at the academy. The laborers say they just don't do things the same way as when they went through the academy years ago. Etherguard Barracks Rows of tents and facilities for Ethergaards line the streets here. An armorer and a a war cleric attend to the needs of the guards. Summershine Scribe The best and brightest of Ethergaard either go off to mage school or end up spending at least sometime at the Summerhsine Scribe. Since Ethergaard is a trading city, the rarety of books and records is appreciated by travelers. The Summershine scribe employs bookbinders, scribes, calligraphers, and monks capable of producing illuminated manuscripts. Since it is an official trade, one must be fully educated. Ethergaarde Dungeon Below the Southern Quarter is the town's main holding cells for those convicted under Lord Skipta's laws. Though appeals are granted in some cases, the court's word is deemed infallible and only divine intervention can change a sentence. There is a "drunk tank" for petty offenses, a more stringent jail section, a hospital wing, and "The Deep", a series of cells even further underground for jailing public dangers. Barrister Lowen Crimpbottle, a gnome with two collapsing pairs of glasses is the main partner in a firm that sources most of the public defense for Ethergaard. The previous barrister resigned just six months earlier, and Lowen is struggling to keep up with his case load, looking for more barristers to bring on board. The Stellar Academy Under the half moons and silver and white banners that mark Ethergaard is the famous Stellar Academy, a rigorous school that educates both day laborers and professionals in a setting that is safe yet demanding. Not everyone can afford or can pass the rigorous exams of the academy, leading to a split in the town between the educated and the uneducated. While trades can be learned in as little as a year, more ambitious programs like the scribe program can take half a decade. Those wishing to go to mage school in the bazaar district often start here in their youth. G. The Fishery A district full of workers who make their living as fishmongers in the Vaitarna or as manual laborers helping to build and maintain the city of Ethergaarde. Routes and walkways are somewhat strangely constructed from planks, bridges, and fishing nets. Many of the hovels are sodden and tim, but some are even repurposed ships. Merchants in the know sometimes arrive from the North gate and enter through the Fishery: raw materials can be sold here at a premium unlike in the Bazaar, which favors assembled goods and services at the ready. If one is looking for seafood, a quick job, or a boat out of town, the Fishery has it covered. Population: High (human, dwarven) West Gate The nearby hamlet of Mournfall is connected to Ethergaard through this winding path. These days, travelers are discouraged from taking the West Gate path due to "obstructions". There is a lesser guard presence here, who do encounter the occasional holdover from Mournfall. North Gate Directly flowing from the river Vaitarna, the Old Mill road leads to the North Gate, a large wrough iron shield-shaped door that has long worn off its copper finish and taken a bluish hue. Large amounts of fishermen pour into the city from this entrance. In recent days, a boatman pass may be requested to assure the Ethergaards one is who one says he is. Shrine of Celestian and Fharlanghn (N/NG) While the hills of the Emerald Knoll can give romantic views of the city, the highest point of Ethergaard is reserved for the Shrine of Celestian and Fharlanghn. On this highest hilltop, an open air, stone-encircled crest is adorned with glass sculptures, beads, animal hides, and divining circles. A gnomish telescope is pointed beyond the city gates. Here is the spot while outgoing merchants and sailors visit and leave tips and sometimes, drawings of beautiful women. These small gifts are a tribute to the two Brother Gods, who oversee the stars, navigation, and roads. A blessing from the Brothers is said to grant an adventurer good luck. Fishermonger Row The long strip of business here is alive with bait and tackle salesmen, hand crafted poles, butchers, netmakers, sailors looking for work, and a plethora of tents set up for the gutting and separating of the day's hauls. Since the space is so cramped, fishermen use color coded umbrellas to distinguish their own stands, no two remaining alike. A careful eye will notice that ships fly a second flag that often corresponds with the vendor's umbrella (the other flag usually being an Ethergaardian or Windswept Coast flag to the Crown). Stu's Lumberyard A ribald, seemingly unhealthy, yet lithe man named Stu runs perhaps the most productive lumberyard here for the whole city. While the workload is heavy and the pay is low, it's easy to get a job at the lumberyard considering the turnover. Not everyone can handle back breaking labor and a neck breaking speed, while being assaulted with nearly unbelievable tales from Stu about a time that must have predated him. Hoval the Navigator A gold compass is painted on a sign outside Hoval's place of business. Hoval is a socially awkward obsessor of maps and geography. Supposedly, Hoval has never set foot outside of the city gates. Despite this, he is of some renowned as a navigator. The Forge of Moradin (LG) - While the backdrop of the fishery is a busy mesh of laborers walking to and fro, fishing nets, poles, raw materials, and utilitarian buildings, the Forge of Moradin sticks out like a sore thumb. A huge, open black iron forge, this blacksmith shop carries some of the finest steel to arrive in Ethergaard. Ragnoc Redbeard, a paladin of Moradin, leads the majority-Dwarven forge. The superior craftsmanship of Redbeard's weapons and steel can be seen also in the Woes of Syfal temple in the Emerald Knoll. Ragnoc is a good friend of the high priests there. He is also the main supplier for equipment for the Etherknights. The silver, moon-adorned armor and weapons can be seen being shaped and pounded on anvils until nightfall, when the dwarves return home. It is said to take a laborer six months to build one Etherknight sword. Quickpike Trading Company- The premier boating company of Ethergaarde claims a variety of vessels for fishing and transportation. Trade for lumber and minerals is mostly negotiated through Quickpike, and traveler's can often find a good deal hitching a ride on a trade boat for a small sack of coins. Moongate Carpentry and Stoneworking One of the most prominent carpenters and architecture hubs in the city is Moongate, which has the advantages of a large workforce and the substantial membership coin netted from laborer's participation in the Thresher guild. Everything from a new building, to repairs, to furniture, to siege engines can be purchased here as long as one has the money and the time. The Brass Prince Tavern A large brass spitoon stands outside of the Brass Prince Tavern, a quaint but lovely tavern that sits near the city walls and affords one of the only inner city views of the river. The Brass Prince is the favorite for sailors and laborers, who anoint the idiot of the day as the Brass Prince and force him to sit in the giant spitoon. Inside there is a small stage, a large bar, and a bathhouse in the back. Abandoned Nursery Once a grow house for topiary trees, shrubs, and bushes, this warehouse now smells of mushrooms, topsoil, and dust, with the dead remnants of its stock lying gnarled on the shop room floor. A local group of goblin bandits took the nursery over as a base of operations, hiding their gold and food. This all changed when Azrael, armed with his sword and warlock magic, fought a pitched battle with the group, killing two lowly goblins and forcing the chieftain to route. SInce then, it has become a base of operations and a weapons storehouse for Izzoko and the shadow elf clan. H. Vaitarna River Those who are exiled from Ethergaarde are sent to the other side of the Vaitarna. There is a story of lovers being seperated across its banks. Population: Low (mixed, wandering monsters) Wee Jas boatman Farrah Dimmock, the "dark stewardess" operates a small wooden vessel on the Vaitarna. Her face, painted like a red skull, appears frightening in her black robes. The Vaitarna rushes quickly, its dark waters dangerous to those unaccustomed to rapids. Most boats start off on the northwestern tributaries so they can hook up with River Aurum or take to the ocean. Few actually want to get to the watershed on the otherside, a place of considerable terror. Farrah will take those exiled and lead them across, although there are stories of some brave or stupid enough to go of their own volition. Watermill - The town's largest watermill operates here and running power for both a number of factories in the Southern Quarter and for an adjacent farm and its grain. Watershed/The Plains of Exile The other side of the Vaitarna is a ten mile long watershed, with a depth that varies from the tread's of one's shoes up to the knees. The watershed is known to be home to a coven of witches and spirit naga, and perhaps, something even darker and more ancient. It is said that the heretic priests of the town that came before Ethergaarde were sent here to die. Their spirits may still haunt the coast. Once of the most serious punishments of the Pholtian Court is exile to this Watershed. Criminals who face this fate are ferried to the watershed, chained, blindfolded, and then brought to the epicenter, left to fend for themselves, never allowed to return to Ethergaarde. The last stipulation may be only formal: very few would survive long here anyhow. I. City Limits Some of the action is always taking place in the margins, and Ethergaarde is no exception. Spend some time walking outside the city gates and you're liable to run into people having difficulty gaining admittance, recent exiles, beggars, street musicians and common criminals. Be careful wandering around: although Ethergaurds are stationed on the walls and at the gates, areas outside the city are not consistently patrolled and there is an 8% chance of coming across a wandering monster per hour during the day, and a 12% chance at night. Population: Low (mixed, wandering monsters) Ottamah's Ink A dirty stall offers a service that is illegal within Ethergaard-- tattooing. It is said that the thieves guild won't accept anyone who doesn't visit Ottamah, a corpulent women known to be, hah, a "good judge of character" Nightshade Cemetery Graveyard to those executed by the Ether Court, named for one of the poisons sometimes used for execution. Traitors, exiles, prisoners of war, and violent criminals are buried here ignominiously. Since the area is relatively small, overflow has led to unmarked graves in the surrounding vale, affectionately referred to as the pit. Temple of Nerull (NE) Underground Catacombs lie beyond the deadtown gates. While accessible through sewer grates, the stairwell into the sewer here is the fastest way to the catacombs underneath Nighshade Cemetary. Many more are buried here, their stories lost with time. A secretive cult in black robes patrols the area. Supposedly, those hoping to remain undetected are apprehended quickly, but those seeking out the cultists find them almost preternaturally elusive. City Limit Encampment For various reasons, often racial, related to insufficient funds, criminal records, or just a bad feeling from the Ethergaards, many are turned away from the gates and instead congregate here in a tent city. A large halfling caravan culture is located here, and they tend to have a critical take on halflings choosing to live in Ethergaard. With a widening gulf between landowners and peasants, some who have lost their homes venture out to live here. Drunken Boat Bait & Tackle A cheery cottage supplies some more exotic baits and tackles than can be found in the fishery, if one is willing to look through the cramped quarters. Sho Feng Ship Painter An eccentric artist outside the city offers custom paint jobs on vessels. He also employs a former clothier and textile workers to help outfit ships with their vendor flags and flags of Ethergaard or the Windswept Coast. For a little extra coin, he could whip up a false flag. J. Windswept Coast Outside the city's boarder is an untamed, rainy expanse of grassland with twisting paths and wandering monsters. Venturing too far without an adventuring company is ill-advised: there are said to be greater threats than those of man waiting on the plain. See also the regional guide: The Windswept Coast Population: N/A (mixed, wandering monsters) Shrine to Obad-Hai (N) A wooden structure, with a prodigious fire in the middle, surrounded by a moat, marks this open air shrine to nature gods. It is said that an organization of Rangers, Druids, herbalists, and naturalists pay homage here, but it is not tended to regularly. Instead, the shrine is a place where one may have a safe night under the stars. Wild animals supposedly act tame within its bounds. K. Shadowplane Wait until the sun is at its zenith, then stretch out your hand and watch the shadow it casts. The brighter the sun is above, the darker the shadow is below. Above the Material Plane is a light brighter than any sun, brighter than a massed phalanx of ten thousand stars. The infinite energy of the Positive Energy Plane casts out spears of Positive energy, giving strength and life to all the planes of existence. It shines like a sun on the Material Plane, and so the Material Plane casts a very dark shadow indeed – the Plane of Shadow.